06 November 2026 | FREE Editorial PDF

Today’s Highlight: Today’s standout word is Zeitgeist – it means the mood and spirit of a particular period, and it is a handy word for Banking and SSC reading passages. The first editorial looks at how Andhra Pradesh and the Centre can rebuild after Cyclones Arnab and Murasu, the second covers Justice Muralidhar’s UN report on Israeli atrocities in Gaza, the third explains why ‘mogging’ became Collins Dictionary’s Word of the Year, the fourth asks India to look beyond old climate fault lines ahead of COP31, and the fifth reads the Democrats’ midterm win as a democracy correcting itself.

Editorial 1: Helping Hand: On Cyclones Arnab and Murasu

Source: The Hindu

Vocabulary

1. Swift
Synonym: Rapid | Antonym: Slow
Example: A swift reply from the helpline calmed the worried family.

2. Landfall
Synonym: Arrival | Antonym: Retreat
Example: The storm made landfall near the port at midnight.

3. Preliminary
Synonym: Initial | Antonym: Final
Example: Preliminary results showed that the new vaccine was safe.

4. Estimated
Synonym: Approximated | Antonym: Precise
Example: Officials estimated the repair cost at several crore rupees.

5. Insurance
Synonym: Coverage | Antonym: Risk
Example: Crop insurance protected the farmers after the floods destroyed their fields.

6. Technologies
Synonym: Innovations | Antonym: Traditions
Example: New technologies helped the town warn residents before the storm.

7. Recovery
Synonym: Revival | Antonym: Decline
Example: Recovery after the floods took the village nearly two years.

8. Relief
Synonym: Aid | Antonym: Hardship
Example: Volunteers carried relief supplies to the flooded villages by boat.

9. Federalism
Synonym: Power-sharing | Antonym: Centralisation
Example: Federalism lets each state make laws on local matters.

10. Agriculturists
Synonym: Cultivators | Antonym: Industrialists
Example: Agriculturists from three districts met the minister to discuss prices.

Idioms

No idioms found in the editorial.

Editorial 2: Damning Report: On Justice Muralidhar’s Report On Israeli Atrocities

Source: The Hindu

Vocabulary

1. Unequivocal
Synonym: Unambiguous | Antonym: Vague
Example: The doctor gave an unequivocal assurance that the surgery was safe.

2. Forensic
Synonym: Investigative | Antonym: Speculative
Example: Forensic experts examined the fingerprints found at the site.

3. Testimony
Synonym: Evidence | Antonym: Denial
Example: The witness’s testimony helped the court reach a clear verdict.

4. Prosecute
Synonym: Charge | Antonym: Pardon
Example: The authorities decided to prosecute the company for fraud.

5. Atrocities
Synonym: Outrages | Antonym: Kindnesses
Example: Leaders condemned the atrocities committed during the long conflict.

6. Denials
Synonym: Rejections | Antonym: Admissions
Example: His repeated denials failed to convince the committee.

7. Suspects
Synonym: Accused | Antonym: Victims
Example: Police questioned three suspects about the missing jewellery.

8. Submission
Synonym: Presentation | Antonym: Withdrawal
Example: The committee’s submission was read out before the full assembly.

9. Ordnance
Synonym: Munitions | Antonym: Disarmament
Example: Workers at the depot stored ordnance in sealed concrete bunkers.

10. Inquiry
Synonym: Investigation | Antonym: Disregard
Example: The government ordered an inquiry into the factory fire.

Idioms

1. Couch one’s words
Meaning: Phrase carefully

2. On the wrong side of history
Meaning: Backing what is later judged wrong

Editorial 3: Mogging’s the Word but the Cat Need Not Worry

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

1. Abashed
Synonym: Ashamed | Antonym: Proud
Example: He felt abashed when the teacher praised his friend’s work instead.

2. Outshining
Synonym: Surpassing | Antonym: Trailing
Example: The young batter kept outshining the seniors in every match.

3. Mainstream
Synonym: Conventional | Antonym: Fringe
Example: Electric cars have moved from the fringe into the mainstream.

4. Ironic
Synonym: Sarcastic | Antonym: Sincere
Example: Her ironic remark about the rain made everyone smile.

5. Zeitgeist
Synonym: Mood of the era | Antonym: Timelessness
Example: The film captured the zeitgeist of the early internet years.

6. Unforgiving
Synonym: Merciless | Antonym: Lenient
Example: The desert sun was unforgiving during the long afternoon march.

7. Snapshot
Synonym: Glimpse | Antonym: Panorama
Example: The survey gives a snapshot of how students spend their evenings.

8. Shortlist
Synonym: Selection | Antonym: Rejection
Example: Her novel made the shortlist for the national book prize.

9. Faulted
Synonym: Blamed | Antonym: Praised
Example: No one faulted the coach for resting the tired players.

10. Subcultures
Synonym: Niche groups | Antonym: Majority culture
Example: Music festivals bring different youth subcultures together in one place.

Idioms

1. Saving grace
Meaning: Redeeming quality

Editorial 4: Look Beyond Old Climate Fault Lines

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

1. Electrification
Synonym: Power supply | Antonym: Fuel-burning
Example: Rural electrification brought lights to hundreds of remote villages.

2. Renewables
Synonym: Clean energy | Antonym: Fossil fuels
Example: The state plans to meet half its demand through renewables.

3. Contours
Synonym: Outlines | Antonym: Specifics
Example: Officials sketched the broad contours of the new transport plan.

4. Stewards
Synonym: Custodians | Antonym: Plunderers
Example: Farmers act as stewards of the land for future generations.

5. Commitments
Synonym: Pledges | Antonym: Breaches
Example: Countries must honour their commitments on cutting harmful emissions.

6. Heed
Synonym: Obey | Antonym: Ignore
Example: Drivers should heed the warning signs near the sharp bend.

7. Utilities
Synonym: Public services | Antonym: Luxuries
Example: Rising costs have strained the finances of power utilities.

8. Transition
Synonym: Shift | Antonym: Stagnation
Example: The transition to digital records took the office two years.

9. Grids
Synonym: Networks | Antonym: Standalone units
Example: Storms damaged the grids and left towns without power.

10. Developmental
Synonym: Progressive | Antonym: Stagnant
Example: The budget focuses on developmental projects such as roads and schools.

Idioms

1. Low-hanging fruit
Meaning: Easy target

2. Take into account
Meaning: Consider carefully

Editorial 5: The Taming of Donald Trump — by, of, for the People

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

1. Impermeable
Synonym: Impenetrable | Antonym: Porous
Example: An impermeable layer of rock stopped the water from seeping down.

2. Boomeranged
Synonym: Recoiled | Antonym: Succeeded
Example: The attempt to silence critics boomeranged and drew more attention.

3. Sidestepped
Synonym: Evaded | Antonym: Confronted
Example: The minister sidestepped the question about rising prices.

4. Mired
Synonym: Entangled | Antonym: Freed
Example: The project stayed mired in delays for nearly three years.

5. Redistricting
Synonym: Re-mapping | Antonym: Leaving unchanged
Example: Redistricting changed the boundaries of several constituencies before the vote.

6. Corruption
Synonym: Bribery | Antonym: Integrity
Example: The inquiry exposed corruption in the awarding of road contracts.

7. Swung
Synonym: Shifted | Antonym: Stayed
Example: Many undecided voters swung towards the new candidate.

8. Outspend
Synonym: Outbid | Antonym: Economise
Example: Big companies can easily outspend small rivals on advertising.

9. Midterms
Synonym: Mid-term polls | Antonym: Presidential elections
Example: Rising prices dominated the debate before the midterms.

10. Executives
Synonym: Administrators | Antonym: Subordinates
Example: Strong executives can overreach unless courts and legislatures act as checks.

Idioms

1. Take at one’s word
Meaning: Believe literally

2. Toe the line
Meaning: Follow the rules

Test Yourself – 5 Questions

Q1. The SWIFT response of the rescue team saved many lives. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Rapid
(B) Slow
(C) Sluggish
(D) Delayed
(E) Tardy

Answer: A

Meaning: Swift means happening or done very quickly.
Logic: ‘Rapid’ is its closest synonym.
Elimination: Slow, Sluggish, Delayed and Tardy are opposite in sense.

Q2. The judge gave an UNEQUIVOCAL warning to the accused. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Vague
(B) Unambiguous
(C) Doubtful
(D) Hazy
(E) Uncertain

Answer: B

Meaning: Unequivocal means leaving no doubt; completely clear.
Logic: ‘Unambiguous’ is its closest synonym.
Elimination: Vague, Doubtful, Hazy and Uncertain are opposite in sense.

Q3. He felt ABASHED when his mistake was pointed out in public. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Proud
(B) Confident
(C) Ashamed
(D) Delighted
(E) Fearless

Answer: C

Meaning: Abashed means embarrassed and ashamed.
Logic: ‘Ashamed’ is its closest synonym.
Elimination: Proud, Confident, Delighted and Fearless are opposite in sense.

Q4. (A) The relief team / (B) reached the village / (C) before the storm / (D) made landfall. Identify the segment containing the grammatical error.

(A) (A)
(B) (B)
(C) (C)
(D) (D)
(E) No error

Answer: E

Meaning: all four segments are grammatically correct.
Logic: ‘before the storm made landfall’ correctly uses the simple past after ‘reached’.
Elimination: no segment contains an error, so the correct answer is ‘No error’.

Q5. Identify the correctly spelt word among the options below.

(A) Proscute
(B) Prosecute
(C) Prossecute
(D) Prosicute
(E) Prosekute

Answer: B

Meaning: The correctly spelt word is ‘Prosecute’, meaning to take legal action against someone for a crime.
Logic: it begins ‘pro’ then ‘secute’, with a single s after the c.
Elimination: the remaining options change, drop or swap letters.

Quick Recap – Today’s Words

Swift (Rapid) | Landfall (Arrival) | Preliminary (Initial) | Estimated (Approximated) | Insurance (Coverage) | Technologies (Innovations) | Recovery (Revival) | Relief (Aid) | Federalism (Power-sharing) | Agriculturists (Cultivators) | Unequivocal (Unambiguous) | Forensic (Investigative) | Testimony (Evidence) | Prosecute (Charge) | Atrocities (Outrages) | Denials (Rejections) | Suspects (Accused) | Submission (Presentation) | Ordnance (Munitions) | Inquiry (Investigation) | Abashed (Ashamed) | Outshining (Surpassing) | Mainstream (Conventional) | Ironic (Sarcastic) | Zeitgeist (Mood of the era) | Unforgiving (Merciless) | Snapshot (Glimpse) | Shortlist (Selection) | Faulted (Blamed) | Subcultures (Niche groups) | Electrification (Power supply) | Renewables (Clean energy) | Contours (Outlines) | Stewards (Custodians) | Commitments (Pledges) | Heed (Obey) | Utilities (Public services) | Transition (Shift) | Grids (Networks) | Developmental (Progressive) | Impermeable (Impenetrable) | Boomeranged (Recoiled) | Sidestepped (Evaded) | Mired (Entangled) | Redistricting (Re-mapping) | Corruption (Bribery) | Swung (Shifted) | Outspend (Outbid) | Midterms (Mid-term polls) | Executives (Administrators)

Idioms: Couch one’s words, On the wrong side of history, Saving grace, Low-hanging fruit, Take into account, Take at one’s word, Toe the line